'A fantastic human' - Mitchell full of praise for Saints team-mate Dingwall

Dingwall made his return to England action on Sunday, starting in the 47-24 Guinness Six Nations success against Italy at Allianz Stadium.

It was his first appearance for the Red Rose since the 2024 Six Nations, but Dingwall looked like he'd never been away as he produced an assured showing.

He was one of five Saints backs in the starting 15 as Mitchell, Fin Smith, Ollie Sleightholme and Tommy Freeman also got the nod.

Sleightholme scored twice, with Freeman notching his fourth try in as many Six Nations matches.

And Mitchell has hailed the work of Dingwall, who has been a key figure in Saints' rise over recent years.

“He is like a Rodri at Man City,” Mitchell said. “He doesn’t always get the great goals or the assists or whatever but he is a mainstay in your team and does all the great things. He is similar to that.

“He is a quality player, a lot of the time he goes unnoticed because he does his job so well for the team and makes other players look so good.

“He is like that glue guy – he is fantastic. His talk on the pitch, I have had for years at Northampton, is second to none. He talks you through the game and defensively he is quality."

Dingwall made his international debut in a 27-24 win over Italy in Rome last February and scored his first England try against Wales on the following weekend.

But he had to wait a long time for his next cap, eventually getting it against Italy on Sunday.

Mitchell was asked whether Dingwall has needed any help in keeping his spirits up after being out of the international matchday squad for so long.

But he said: “Not too much. He has got a good head on him, he has captained quite a lot at Northampton so he knows how to deal with himself.

“With selection you chat to them to see if they need anything from you.

"He is a fantastic human so he knows how to look after himself.”